bad breaker

[newbie999]

yesterday when my wife finished vacuming power went off to numerous lights, a few plugins, and the furnace circ fan.

I tried reseting the breaker but it tripped right away with a minor arc/flash. It is the top 15a on a 4 pole. The others two work fine.

The breaker is a cutler hammer.

I tried replacing most of the light switches and the plug my wife was using..nothing.

Any ideas or suggestions before I call a pro tomorrow?

[kactuskid]

I don't believe you have a bad breaker. It sounds like you have a short to ground. A wire has come lose and is shorting to the metal box or another wire is my guess. It could be any device on this circuit, so you need to check them all. If any wires are inserted into the little holes in the backs of the switches or receptatcls, remove them and wrap them around the screws on the sides. Remember one wire per screw.

[Rewired]

It is possible that it could be an appliance that is plugged into that circuit as well... Who knows maybe your wife accidentally caught the cord of a table lamp or something up in the vacuum and damaged it a bit, now its shorting out or touching ground somewhere.. Its possible!
Also, you mentioned the furnace went out too?? There could be a problem in there,such as a shorted winding in the motor I doubt it really but you never know. If the breaker wont reset at all, try turning off the furnace switch, then ressetting the breaker, just for laffs.. if the breaker now holds, the problem is in your furnace.
By code, the furnace must be on its own circuit, it wouldn't be a bad idea to move it to its own breaker if at all possible!

A.D

[newbie999]

hmmm well nothing is plugged into the plug-ins on this breaker...and all the boxes are plastic?

Gonna have to call a pro I guess. Thanks for your suggestions.